


Nightmare

by bliss_delight_jr



Category: Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica - James A. Owen
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Other, Sort Of, historical accuracy be damned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-10 06:44:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14731932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bliss_delight_jr/pseuds/bliss_delight_jr
Summary: John had a really messed up nightmare but he'll be ok





	Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> this might be historically inaccurate so my apologies for that, and that the format of this fic might be kind of off or weird - i'll work on that. but i hope you enjoy this. also, i have made some minor edits to this fic (adding italics, horizontal lines, etc). if there are any errors you notice or something that should be fixed feel free to let me know. other than all that, i hope you enjoy, and thank you for reading.

John didn’t know where he was or why. He looked about him. The world looked as if it had fallen into rubble and ash; into destruction and ruin, into darkness. The ground was cracked and gray, desolate. And the sky was gray too, although along the horizon was blackness and shadow. John felt dread in the pit of his stomach - sharp, physically painful, sickening.

He was lying on his stomach. In front of him, but about 30 feet away, he could see a younger man, lying on his left side, facing away from him. John’s heart raced and he was overcome with fear. He tried to stand up, but he wasn’t strong enough. He began to frantically crawl towards the body.

“Jack! Jack, are you ok?!”

As John got closer, he could see another person on the ground behind his friend. The man was facing Jack, laying in the same way. It was Charles.

“Charles - Charles!!” John scrambled towards them.

He reached Jack first. John managed to get on his knees. He pulled Jack onto his lap. Jack looked horrible, and so did Charles. They were covered in scratches and scars, bruises and ash. Jack’s face was pale, and his body was limp.

John started to shake Jack, trying to wake him. “Jack! Jack, wake up! Please! Jack!” John could feel tears coming, but he tried to hold them back. One forced its way out, landing on Jack’s cheek. John wiped his tear off of Jack’s cheek when he realized… Jack’s skin was cold. 

John stared at Jack, eyes wide. His lips quivered and he shook his head repeatedly. He sat for a moment longer, still stroking Jack’s cheek. John ran a trembling hand through Jack’s hair, which was cold. The same hand caressed Jack’s forehead, which was cold. John’s whole body began to shake and tremble.  
Jack was cold. He didn’t move and he didn’t breathe. His whole body was still and cold.

With Jack still in his lap, John scrambled to Charles, who was very close, only about a foot away. He grabbed his arm and shook him.

“Charles,” John cried, panic rising in his voice. “Charles, get up!” He moved closer, now shaking Charles by the shoulder, harder. “Charles! Charles, please!” John started crying. “I’m begging you, wake up! Charles!” 

John reached out and held Charles’s head. He touched and stroked his cheek and ran his hand through his hair, still trying to wake him. But Charles was cold, too. John held him for a few more moments…

He found the pulse point on Charles’s neck and held his fingers there for several moments. John felt nothing. With shaking hands, he checked the pulse point on Charles’s wrist, yet he still felt nothing. He did the same with the other wrist, and still there was nothing. John screamed, and his screams morphed into sobs. He tried to breathe, holding his head in his hands. John put his ear to Charles’s chest, trying desperately to hear his heartbeat. John laid his head on Charles for several minutes, but there was only a sickening silence inside Charles’s chest.

John did the same with Jack. But his shaking hands felt no pulse, not once. When John put his ear to Jack’s chest, he heard no heartbeats, nothing. Nothing except his own sobs and wails and screams. 

He put Jack’s body down, side by side with Charles’s. John crawled a few feet away, vomited, then went back to the corpses. He collapsed on the bodies of his friends and broke down, sobbing and screaming. 

“Oh, God,” he cried. “I’m sorry. I’m s-so sorry! I-I should have b-been there…” John reached out and touched their faces one last time. “I sh-should have been there for you!” He laid his head down on their chests, weeping. Suddenly, he threw his head back and screamed.

* * *

John woke up panting. He was covered in sweat, and his cheeks were wet with tears. He sat up and looked around in the dark, and immediately knew where he was. He was home, in his room, in his house. In his bed, at his right side, his wife groaned and rolled over to face him. 

“John,” Edith said softly, sleepily, “is everything alright?” 

She sat up to face him, and they were only inches away. Edith caressed his cheek and moved hair off of his face. “Are you feeling alright? What’s the matter?”

John only sighed and rested his head on her shoulder. Edith wrapped her arms around him. She held him for a long time.

After a little while, John pulled away. “I’ll be right back,” he said, and kissed her cheek.

“It’s the middle of the night. Where are you going?” 

“I’m just going to call someone.” John made his way to the door and opened it silently.

“John, what’s the matter?” Edith’s worry was obvious. “Won’t you tell me?”

John looked back at her. “It was only a dream I had, that’s all,” he said, trying to comfort her. “Don’t worry, okay?”

She hesitated for a moment. “Alright. Come back soon, alright?”

John smiled a little as he closed the door. “I will.”

John stumbled in the quiet darkness, but eventually, he reached his telephone. He had difficulty dialing the number, but after a few rings, someone answered.

“Hello?”

“J-Jack,” John said, “Jack, it’s me, John.”

Jack laughed. “Oh, John. Why.. why are you calling me? Right now, I mean?”

“I-I just- I thought I should check on you, that’s all.”

“Is something wrong?”

“Oh, no, no-”

“What’s happened?”

“Jack, everything’s fine. Nothing’s happened.”

“You’re certain of that?”

“Yes. I only wanted to check on you. Don’t worry.”

“Well,” Jack said playfully, “maybe I should be worried. After all, you never call me at midnight.”

John laughed. “Sorry, I just-”

“John, it’s fine. I’m only joking.”

“I know, I know.” John was silent for a just moment. “So, you’re certain you’re alright?”

“Yes, I’m quite certain.”

“You’re okay?”

Jack’s voice became softer. “I’m okay, John. I promise. As long as you are.”

“I am,” John said. “I am.”

They said goodnight, and John dialed another phone number.

 

* * *

“Hello,” Charles said, obviously tired. “Who is it?”

“Charles, it’s John. I-I’m sorry to be calling you at this time. It’s just that, um…” He paused, trying to think of how to phrase the question. “Are you alright?”

Charles became concerned. “John, of course. Are you? Is something wrong?”

“No, not at all. I’m fine, don’t worry.”

“Alright. Well, if you need anything, for whatever reason, please let me know.”

“I-I will, thank you, Charles. Are you certain you’re alright?”

“I’m alright, John.”

“Then, um, perhaps we should say goodnight.”

“Goodnight, John.” Charles’s voice was gentle, calming. “And don’t worry.”

“I won’t. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

John hung up.

 

* * *

He went back to his bedroom and lied down on the bed. Edith was lying there, waiting for him. When he got into bed, she put an arm around him, and he did the same with her.

“Who did you call,” Edith asked.

“Just some friends I needed to check on.”

“Jack and Charles?”

“How did you know?”

“How could I not know?”

John smiled, and laughed a short, nearly silent laugh. Edith nestled her head between his neck and shoulder and closed her eyes. John was grateful that it had only been a dream; a horrible dream, but a dream still. He was grateful for Jack, and Charles, and Edith, and that they were all safe, and that they were all warm.

_Warm,_ John thought as he held Edith closer and tighter. _So warm._


End file.
